Carl axel von maltzahn



(N0 Model.)

o. A. von MALTZAHN.

GULTIVATION OF ASPARAGUS.

N0. 571,273. Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

ZAHN, of 'Bloherhof, .near Vollrathsruhe,

UART. AXEL VON MALTZAHN,

OF BLOIIERHOF, GERMANY.

CULTIVATION OF ASPARAGUS.

SPEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 571,273, dated. November 10, 1896.

Application fi1ed September 21, 1894. Seria1 N0. 523,712. (N0 model.) Patented in Germeny Au st 17, 1894, N0. 82,449, in Luxemburg Augustl8, 1894, N0. 2,902, in England August Z2, 1894, N0. 15,984; in Spain August 27,1894,N0. 10,250; in Belgium A u t 29, 1894, N0. 115,596; in Hungary September 10,1894, N0 1,069, in Italy September 28, 1894, N0. 37,296, in Austria Octobel' 24, 1894, N0. (JA/5,650; in I'1anee August 22, 1895, N0. 240,852, und in Denmark September 27, 1895, N0. 209.

T0 all whom it mcoy concern:

Be it known that I, CARL AXEL von MALT- Mecklenburg, in the Empire of Germany, have invented new and usefu1 Im provements in the Oultivation 01": Asparagus, (patented in Germany, N 0. 82,449, dated August 17, 189-1; in England, N0. 15,984, dated August 22, 18945 in Austria, N0. 44 5,050, dated October 24, 1894; in Hungary, N0. 1,009, dated September 10, 1894; in Belgium, N0. 115,596, dated August 29, 1894; in Ita1y, N0. 37,296, dated September 28, 1894; in Spain, N0. 10,250, dated August 27, 1891; in Luxemburg, N0. 2,902, dated August 18, 18945 in Denmark, N0. 209, datec1 September 27, 1895, anc1 in Franoe N0. 240,852, dated August 22, 1895,) of Whieh the following is a speoifioation.

The objeot of the presentinvention is a newmeans of oultivating asparagus, by whioh an agrioultural produet that leaves nothing to be c1esired is gained, at the san1e time enab1ing the agriculturalist to simplify and a0- oelerate the foreing prooess. The 1abor required for tending and gathering is also deoreased by the applieation of this invention, and 110 damage oan be done to the growing shoots While cutting and gathering those that are fit for use, so that this invention represents an important progress in agrioulture.

The aocompanying drawings illustrate the cases employed for this method, as follows:

Figure 1 is a perspeotive view of the case in question; Fig. 2, a vertieal seetion through the cap in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, the exterior, and Fig. 4 the interior, side of the oase in Fig. 1 in an nnfolded eondition.

At present the forcin g 0f asparagus is done by heaping up humus in Winter after the leaves have been removed. 'lhe plant is then left to itself.

Acoording to the present method oases, as shown in Fig. 1, 01: a material impervious t0 light and heat are p1aeed over eaeh 010 plant in spring, as soon as vegetation begins, and olosec1 by a lid Which may be opened for the inspeotion of the iso1ated plant. By this arrangement the young growth is isolated fro1n the light and the influenoe 0f the warmth and air arising from the ground is seeured. The effeot reaohecl in tl1is manner is amazing. A plant whieh formerly required four to six weeks for its full development i's raised in nine to ten days 130 the same state by this metho 1 Insteac1 of being eompelled to inspeet the plant three times a day, as has been hitherto neeessary, it is suffieient to look after the same every three days 0n1y, so that a eonsiderable amount of labor may be dispensed With. The ehief ac1vantage is offered by the faot that the who1e of the p1ants may be viewed in the oases, so that damaging while cutt1'ng is prevented, While hitherto stems were eithef broken off or prioked. 011 aeeount 0f their being whollyor partly undergr0und. These cases are placed several eentimeters deep into the earth and have afixed position after the rod or rods have been pushed into the ground.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the case, eonsisting prineipally of four parts, an interior oover A, an exterior eover F, alid D to be opened, and a rod B, riveted to the two covers at one side. Both oovers have an equal height, while the interior cover A is prolonged in a downward direoti0n and serves to introduee the oase into the ground. R00 B is arranged in the longitudinal direotion of both covers. It has a somewhat greater length than the interior cover A. 'lhis r0d serves to give stabi1ity to the oase and to act as apivot for the lid D at the top C. This 1id D is supp1ied with several sma1l ho1es E, whioh a1e of great importanee, although they appear to be of 110 aooount. These ho1es are applied for the following purposes: First, that in ease of 1ai11 the drops may run downward, am], secondly and prineipally, that the growth of the asparagus-plants takes p1aee only in an upward direotion, which purpose is perifeetly reaohed by the few sunbeams penetrating through the sma1l perforations. The double sides are also very essential, as the inolosed air forme an excellent isolator against the influenee 01 the weather. In order to bring both covers A and F in a fixed osition, when placed 011e upon the 0131101, and to be ab1e 1 0 inclose ab the same time a certain quantity of a1'1 bot-h 0f them are either sloped 01111 01 ribbed. These grooves 0f the one eovermust be direeted either vertieal]y 01' ab right angles t0 those of the other cover, so filmt they 1ie e1'ther in the direcion of 1;he longitudinal axis 01 0f the periphery. In this manner every f0ur poins next 130 eaeh other eome into eontact with eaeh other a1: the projecting ends of the grooves, thus forming ehe spaee for ehe air.

I[zwing now deseribed myinvention, what 

